Nothing against any of the others, but when it comes to putting a unique spin on fundraising galas, the event that sets the standard is the one hosted by MCA/Denver. They always have a clever theme, an outstanding menu, interesting guests and a tequila toast, this year introduced by a mariachi band.

Friends of the Children’s Museum of Denver traveled deep into the Indian jungle to help celebrate the museum’s 37th anniversary. Jungle Jubilee, chaired by Mandi Hoffman and Halle Holmes, was a big success and raised a six-figure sum for educational programs and sponsored admissions.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and his wife, author Helen Thorpe, were the honorary chairmen.

A view from inside one of the homes on the Central City Opera’s L’Esprit de Noel Holiday Home Tour. Photo by Joanne Davidson, The Denver Post

Both the Central City Opera and Friends of Nursing have holiday home tours, with shopping boutiques, running today through Sunday.
L’Esprit de Noel features three custom homes, two loft units and the historic Eisenhower Chapel — all in Denver’s Lowry neighborhood — while An Old Fashioned Christmas offers a glimpse inside the historic Phipps Mansion, 3400 Belcaro Drive. The L’Esprit boutique is at Stanley British Primary School, 350 S. Quebec St., while shoppers can find the Old Fashioned Christmas gift items in the Phipps Tennis Pavilion.
There is no charge to shop either of the boutiques — they’re open during tour hours — but admission is charged to take the actual tours. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

L’Esprit de Noel

Chaired by Christine Nicholson and Carolyn O’Donnell, this tour is put on by the Central City Opera House Association Guild. Coldwell Banker Devonshire is the Gold Sponsor, with support from local florists, landscapers and retailers.
Last night, patron-level supporters were treated to a preview of the homes, and a buffet supper catered by Three Tomatoes. Mary Giblin and Karen Hansen chaired the preview party held at Home #3 on the tour, a Mediterranean-inspired home that combines old-world craftsmanship with new-world technologies.Madeline Collison and Missy Eliot, co-presidents of the opera guild, helped welcome the crowd of 200, a group that included Jeannie Fuller, chairman of the opera board; Pat Pearce, the company’s general director; and Barbara Ferguson, the guild’s founding president.
The Lowry location holds special meaning for Fuller. “My husband, John, and I had our first date, dancing the night away to the Glenn Miller Band, at the Officers’ Club when Lowry was a working Air Force base,” she recalled.
Three Tomatoes chef Todd Friedman and his crew served a variety of delectables, including cooked-to-order beef tenderloin, crabmeat salad in miniature won ton cones, and eggnog, tiramisu and gingerbread shooters to a group that also included Trish Millice; Judy and Newell Grant; Nancy Benson; Sue and Louis Clinton; Nancy Parker; Carolyn Longmire; Nancy and Barney Schotters; LeeLee Lichty; Pam and Sonny Wiegand; Deanna Austin; Ginny and Bob Fuller; Jaylene Smith; Beverlee Henry and Bob Fullerton; Margot Gilbert Frank; Wendy and Bob Kaufman; Kristina Davidson; Julie and Peter Hughes; and Laura Dirks.

Old Fashioned Christmas
Presented by Friends of Nursing and chaired by Greta Pollard and LaFawn Biddle, An Old Fashioned Christmas offers the public the chance to see historic Phipps Mansion done up for the holidays by seven area florists.
It, too, opened with a dinner, chaired by Judie Stromberg and Jeanne Reeves, for patron-level supporters.
KEZW personality Rick Crandall and his wife, Diane, were the honorary chairmen, receiving accolade after accolade for their sustained support of FON’s efforts to raise scholarship dollars for Colorado nursing students.
Swing Unlimited helped set a festive mood by playing seasonal tunes in the mansion’s entry as guests enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and bidding in a silent auction of gift baskets assembled for the occasion.
Then it was on to dinner, a beef tenderloin and chocolate decadence feast from Continental Divine Catering.
Guests included Mary McNicholas; Nancy Markham Bugbee; Rod and Phyllis Wicklund; Duane and Pat Lambert with son and daughter-in-law David and Anne Lambert; Patty Jenkins; Helen and Warren Hanks; Terry Biddinger; Steve Edmonds; Donna and Karl Bernklau; Anita and Dr. Joseph Becky; president-elect Jan Jurasic and president Mary Jo Coast.

Board president George Martinez addresses the crowd at Museo de las Americas fundraiser, Rojo Kermes. Photo by Steve Peterson, Special to The Denver Post

Rojo Kermes, a fundraiser for Museo de las Americas, wasn’t just inspired by the neighborhood carnivals enjoyed in so many Latin communities: It was authentic right down to the jicaletas, a popular snack made from spears of fresh jicama and enjoyed with a dusting of chile powder and splash of lime.
In Mexico, people buy jicaletas from street vendors; at the Museo gala, they were among the hors d’oeuvres that Three Tomatoes Catering served during the cocktail hour and silent auction that preceded a seated dinner in St. Cajetan Center on the Auraria Campus.
Guests also snacked on mini sopas stuffed with frijoles and chicharones; bite-sized hot dogs topped with jalapeno pickle relish; corn fritters served in paper cones with lime-cilantro salt; and mini hamburguesas that came with guacamole, cilantro-onion relish and queso Chihuahua before sitting down to a dinner of green gazpacho with roasted corn relish, chicken breast and chocolate mousse topped with algodones de azucar, or cotton candy.
While food was central at this festive gathering, the purpose (aside from raising money) was to introduce the Museo’s new executive director, Maruca Salazar, and to treat guests to entertainment by Monareta.
The Bogota-based duo fuses an “electro-cumbia break beat” with club styles to produce a show that “tells a story without showing images.”

Study after study has shown that when it comes to charitable fundraisers, Denver has more per capita than any comparably sized city in the nation. Joanne Davidson has been covering them for The Denver Post since 1985, coming here from her native California where she'd spent the previous seven years as San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine.